What was the name of Mahatma Gandhi’s first ashram in India, founded in 1915?

Mahatma Gandhi’s first ashram in India was Kochrab Ashram, founded near Ahmedabad in 1915.

Gandhi established the ashram at Kochrab on 25 May 1915, shortly after returning to India from South Africa. It was initially called the Satyagraha Ashram and served as a community where residents practiced truth, nonviolence, simplicity, manual labor, communal discipline, and service. Gandhi also sought to challenge caste discrimination and social exclusion within the community.

In 1917, the ashram moved from Kochrab to the banks of the Sabarmati River because of concerns including sanitation and the suitability of the original site. The new location became widely known as Sabarmati Ashram and later served as the starting point for the 1930 Salt March.

Because Sabarmati became much more famous, it is often incorrectly named as Gandhi’s first Indian ashram. Kochrab was the earlier foundation. Phoenix Settlement and Tolstoy Farm, meanwhile, belonged to Gandhi’s South African years rather than his return to India.